The St. Joseph County Drainage Board approved Microsoft’s groundwater dewatering plan on Nov 2, permitting water to be pumped from the Granger site and discharged into Willow Creek and Juday Creek.

The approved system can discharge up to 200,000 gallons per hour, with three wells operating at different times between mid‑December 2026 and early April 2027; the wells will not run simultaneously and the total volume to be removed has not been disclosed.

The dewatering is limited to construction‑related groundwater removal and does not supply the future operational water needs of the data centre.

Nearby residents have raised concerns about impacts on private wells and groundwater levels, prompting plans to install monitoring equipment around neighboring wells, though details on monitoring frequency and response procedures remain unclear.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) opened a public comment period through Nov 25 for Microsoft’s new‑source construction and Federally Enforceable State Operating Permit (FESOP) covering air‑pollutant emissions from the planned data centre.

IDEM’s preliminary assessment indicates projected emissions would stay below major‑source thresholds under federal air‑quality rules, but the draft permit does not contain a complete emissions profile for the facility.

Microsoft’s infrastructure commitments total more than $65 million, comprising an initial $12.6 million agreement for engineering and design and a later $53‑$55 million memorandum for water, sewer and road upgrades.

St. Joseph County is managing a $6 million construction package to extend Mishawaka’s water lines north along Bittersweet Road, with the completed utilities slated for transfer to the city for operation.

Road improvements, including widening Cleveland Road and adding turn lanes on Bittersweet Road, are supported by a $2 million contribution from Microsoft to facilitate traffic to the future campus.

The campus will comprise six data‑center buildings on the 929‑acre former St. Joe Farm, with the first three slated for completion in mid‑to‑late 2029, subject to permitting and construction progress.

County officials estimate the completed campus could support about 300 permanent jobs, and Microsoft has outlined training partnerships with Penn High School and Ivy Tech Community College to prepare local residents for data‑center roles.

Microsoft plans a closed‑loop cooling system that will circulate specially prepared fluid for roughly two years before treatment, a design intended to limit continuous water consumption, though the overall water‑use and electricity‑demand figures for the operational campus have not been disclosed.